3 LEFT IN HUNT FOR TOP SPOT IN L.A. SCHOOLS.

Byline: Terri Hardy and Sharline Chiang Daily News Staff Writers

And the finalists for superintendent of Los Angeles schools are: a Los Angeles banker and management expert; a no-nonsense, Cuban-born school administrator on Long Island in New York; and a Latino who's No. 2 in the LAUSD.

After months of interviewing 50 candidates by a private executive search committee, the names of the final three were presented to the Los Angeles Board of Education on Thursday.

The board will pick a successor to Superintendent Sidney Thompson after a series of meetings and forums. Invitation-only forums will be conducted daily from Tuesday through April 18. Public meetings will be held April 19 and 20 in the San Fernando Valley, East Los Angeles and South Los Angeles.

Shrouded in secrecy, the search produced only one real surprise - Daniel Domenech, superintendent of a group of 18 small districts with 72,000 students in Suffolk County, N.Y. Insiders said they anticipated the other two choices - Deputy Superintendent Ruben Zacarias and banker William Siart, who is credited with the financial turnaround of First Interstate Bank.

Some board members were dissatisfied that there were only three candidates, but most outside groups were pleased by their varied backgrounds.

``I think it's the most diverse group of finalists for a school district,'' said Mike Roos, president of the LEARN reform movement.

Said Edie Gieb, president of Parents and Students United of the San Fernando Valley, ``I would say these are just excellent choices.''

At least two board members said they were disappointed that there were only three finalists.

``Fundamentally, I wasn't happy there wasn't a bigger batch,'' David Tokofsky said.

Julie Korenstein said she had wanted a broader selection.

Both members said they would have liked to see a woman candidate.

Arguably one of the city's most important jobs, the Los Angeles Unified School District's superintendent heads a 708-square-mile area with 900 schools and centers.

The nation's second-largest school district, the LAUSD has more than 650,000 students enrolled.

Thompson will step down by the end of June. He earns $164,000, but his replacement's salary is open for negotiation, school officials said.

The question of race has played a large role in the superintendent search. Latino activists have pushed for Zacarias, saying they believe he will be more sensitive to the needs of the district's large minority population. The district is 68 percent Latino.

``We think Zacarias is the best candidate; he's a role model and is bilingual,'' said Gina Alonso, chairwoman of Latinos for Excellence in Education. ``Siart is a banker; he knows nothing about education. Domenech is from New York; he doesn't know Los Angeles.''

But some believe an outsider may be the only way to make real reform within the LAUSD.

``An outsider is really threatening, and that may be what we need,'' said Day Higuchi, president of United Teachers-Los Angeles.

Higuchi said the bulk of top-level administrators appear to support Zacarias, and any new superintendent must have the ability to hire his own senior staff.

``Otherwise it would seem very difficult to change things when the rest of the system is not necessarily supportive of you at the top,'' Higuchi said.

Finalists from the 50 applicants were chosen by a four-member volunteer citizens committee.

``This list takes us a step closer to one of the most important decisions to be made in Los Angeles,'' said Steve Sugerman, deputy to Mayor Richard Riordan. ``Now the focus should be public input. It's up to Angelenos to ask tough questions and provide vision for the future of the school district.''

Zacarias backers loyal

Zacarias is a longtime employee of the LAUSD with a strong and fiercely loyal group of supporters backing him.

He believes that his status as a district insider makes him the most qualified candidate.

``I have a working relationship with all the stakeholders inside and outside the district, and that's important because improving student achievement has to be a collaborative effort,'' he said. ``With rare exception, outsiders have not fared too well in most schools throughout the nation because they lack knowledge of the infrastructure and the community dynamics.''

Zacarias said he recognizes the public's frustration with the LAUSD and said he would involve the entire community in ``tough but needed decisions regarding accountability and student achievement.''

Zacarias began his career in the LAUSD as a teacher in 1966. Since then, he's steadily moved through the ranks with responsibilities including bilingual education, special education, parent involvement and school operations.

Domenech said to be charismatic

Described as charismatic, brash and a seeker of the limelight, Domenech was the driving force behind a state takeover of one of New York's most troubled school system. After its school board was ousted, Domenech was placed in charge of the Western Suffolk Board of Cooperative Educational Services.

As superintendent, he restored order and raised achievement scores. But his decisive manner has offended some.

In an interview with Long Island Newsday in January 1996, he said: ``There are people who would like to see me skewered and roasted. But I'm not in a popularity contest. I will be as tactful and as polite and as flexible as I need to be. But when it comes to being an advocate for and protecting the rights of children, I have in the past stepped on people's toes, and I intend to continue to step on people's toes.''

From an Internet page from the Suffolk County education board, Domenech said his mission there is straightforward: ``Create excellence for our students.''

Domenech has been a teacher and administrator in the New York area for 29 years. He emigrated from Cuba to New York City with his parents when he was 9. He is bilingual.

Siart decentralized bank management

Siart has nearly three decades of experience in the banking industry.

When the native Californian took over the reins of First Interstate Bank of California, he increased the market value of the corporation from $2 billion in 1990 to $13 billion in 1995.

As president of First Interstate, he decentralized management, implemented a financial measurement system and enhanced customer service, according to his prepared biography.

On Thursday, Siart was out of the country and not available for comment.

SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH

Here are the top three contenders for the Los Angeles Unified School District's superintendent of schools:

Daniel Domenech

Age: 51.

Residence: Oakdale, Long Island, N.Y.

Education: Ph.D. in education research from Hofstra University, Uniondale, N.Y.

Occupation: Superintendent of the Second Supervisory District of Suffolk County, Long Island, New York; Chief Executive Officer of Western Suffolk Board of Cooperative Educational Services.

William Siart

Age: 50.

Residence: Los Angeles.

Education: Master of business administration degree in finance from University of California at Berkeley.

Occupation: former chairman and CEO of First Interstate Bankcorp.

Ruben Zacarias

Age: 68.

Residence: Chatsworth.

Education: Master's degree from California State University, Los Angeles and Ed.D from the University of San Francisco.

Occupation: Deputy Superintendent of Schools for the Los Angeles Unified School District.

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos, box

PHOTO (1) Daniel Domenech

(2) Ruben Zacarias

(3) William Siart

Box: Superintendent search (see text)